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Outdoor Alliance Announces 2007 Platform
posted March 21, 2007
Leaders representing over 1
million people who participate in human-powered outdoor recreational activities traveled to
Washington DC late last month to roll out their policy platform for 2007. The leaders are
policy staff for the Access Fund, American Canoe Association, American Hiking Society,
American Whitewater, International Mountain Biking Association, and the Winter
Wildlands Alliance. These non-profit groups have formed a coalition, the Outdoor Alliance,
aimed at representing human powered recreationists on a national level. The Platform
outlines the group’s positions on pending legislation and the President’s proposed
2008 budget.
The 2007 Outdoor Alliance
Platform is based on the group’s dedication to ensuring the conservation and stewardship of
our nation’s land and waters through the promotion of sustainable, human-powered
recreation. Never before have conservation-oriented hikers, climbers, skiers, paddlers, and
mountain bikers had such a strong and unified political voice. The group met with political
representatives on both sides of the aisle in both the House and Senate, as well as with staff
from the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park
Service.
The 2007 Outdoor Alliance Platform contains the following recommendations:
- Adequately fund the recreation and resource protection budgets for the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service.
- Support trails and skill-based recreation field staff within the National Park Service.
- Support recreational infrastructure on all public lands.
- Address the massive backlog of needed Forest Service road maintenance.
- Fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is a primary tool for land conservation efforts, at least $220 million for federal LWCF and $125 million for state-by-state LWCF.
- Protect the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System by achieving an adequate budget and an accountable management structure, increasing public awareness, and enhancing the ability to leverage local volunteers.
- Repeal the new rule that exempts Forest Service forest plans from scrutiny under the National Environmental Policy Act.
- Reform the 1872 mining law.
- Protect existing roadless areas on public lands from new roadbuilding.
One in three Americans - 100 million people - love to hike, paddle, climb, ski and/or mountain
bike. The Outdoor Alliance platform is aimed at protecting the special places and
experiences that these people value on public lands. Through protecting recreational
opportunities in our back yards as well as the backcountry, Outdoor Alliance believes we can
improve the quality of life experienced by American citizens and ensure the long term protection
of the places we all treasure.
American Whitewater's National Policy efforts are focused through two coalitions:
Outdoor Alliance, and the Hydropower Reform Coalition. Through the Outdoor Alliance,
American Whitewater is able to take action very effectively on a wide array of recreational
and ecological issues, which has direct benefits to paddlers and rivers. By
seeking full federal funding support for agencies, and advocating for resource protection
and responsible management, we are treating the causes behind many local river
conservation and access conflicts. Your support of American Whitewater helps us
maintain this positive, proactive, national role in public land management.
For more information on Outdoor Alliance and our 2007 Platform, visit www.outdooralliance.net.